Stitches
by ObscureUsername
Summary: Daniel, having submitted to torture to cleanse himself of the Shadow, wakes up to a life-changing horror. T for violence.
1. Monster from the Dark

Hey, it's me ^^ I just want to say that this took a very long time, what with all the transcribing of HTML to this and all. This is, in my opinion, one of the best things I've written so far, even it it's a bit unconventional. It took craploads of research, word choice, editing, and imagination to keep the dream alive, and the only reason you're reading this now is because of all the encouragement I received. So, um, enjoy! R&R appreciated, as always!

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><p>I don't know how, but Alexander did it. He said I would see light again before the sawing commenced, but I hadn't believed him. I had been glad to be leaving.<p>

But no. Here I am.

When I had awoken, the bloody bastard was standing over me as I shook my mind from the cold daze of death.

_What...is...this..._

_Who...are...you.…_

My mind flooded with strange questions of an almost alien nature to me as I struggled to move my fingers. Each delicate nerve tingled and burned as I restored motion to my frame. I realized my wrists and ankles were bound by ropes as though I were tied to a rack, and...

_What is...this...pain.…_

Gasping in a quick breath of air, I attempted to voice these questions, but I found I couldn't. My words came out as inarticulate moans and breaths of air. In fact, my whole mouth felt dry and empty. With some effort, I turned my eyes questioningly to the smirking Alexander.

_Why... How... What...is this?_

"This, Daniel, is your new body," came the smooth voice of my captor, strange and echoing in my ears. "It had served its limit in the past, but now it's renewed."

_I don't...understand…_

I turned my sore neck to my left and saw my own arm, flexed my own fingers. But, my shoulder... That arm had been lost. It was sewn to my body at the shoulder. Horrified, I looked right and immediately regretted it. It was sewn together at the elbow, flesh connecting cleanly to severed flesh. My fingertips, caked in dry blood, had been crudely replaced with two-inch long metal blades. In fear, I let out another primitive noise.

_Alexander...what...have you done?_

The baron chuckled in a way that made my stomach nauseous. "You are one of my servants now. Didn't you ever wonder why they hid themselves from you? You're unique among them, though, in form and purpose. I have good use for you." With that, he turned away from me and began to walk away down that stone hallway.

_No...come back...you bastard... Why... Why would you... No... Stay! Don't go yet! No! NO! STAY! GET BACK HERE, YOU MONSTER!_

In my blind fury, all coherent thought melted away as I ripped my arms free of the binds, snapping pieces of wood free of the table. I sat up and violently and snapped free my disgusting legs, becoming fully mobile and rising to my feet. The whole world felt dizzy to me, but I still managed to take those steps towards the baron. But I was too weak to get far: He simply watched as I stumbled, collapsed to my knees, and fell forward to the cold stone floor, my incoherent groans turning to murmurs and sighs.

_You... Come...back... No... Come... Stay... Don't...you.…_

I passed into darkness.

xxx

When I came to, I was laying on a wooden bed-frames in a prison cell. Alexander had been kind enough to provide me with a large woolen blanket. With my left hand, I reached up to touch my face and felt the slimy remains of my bottom jaw hanging down from my face. I was disgusted with myself. What kind of monster was I? My own tongue, dry from the constant exposure to air, dragged across my fingers and ran across sharp teeth.

_How could he...?_

I pulled the only human part of my body away from my repulsive face and allowed bitter tears to pour from my eyes.

_Do I...deserve this?_

My right hand's iron claws dug into the bed-frame, ripping apart the weak wood with little effort. It was done. I was a MONSTER! I could never leave! Grunts escaped my coarse throat as I sobbed, hiding myself in my hands and my shame. I was unlike even the other servants.

_I am alone._

_All alone._

I stayed in this cell, sulking in my own misery for a long time: I could not see the moon pass, so I knew not how many days went by; nothing came by, but even if someone did, I wouldn't be able to ask anyways. All I knew is that while I was locked in there, a single candle burning to remind me of old times, many days passed, finding me huddled beneath my bedspread.

At the end of my time alone here, I heard someone- or something- walking down the corridor outside. Who was that? I didn't dare look without, and instead pulled my blanket tighter around myself.

The footsteps stopped outside my door. "Here is your cell." Alexander.

"Is...is anyone else in there?" asked the voice of a terrified girl.

_How could that...beast forget me?_

"Yes," Alexander responded to her. "I haven't forgotten you. Daniel, come to the door."

I stayed where I was.

"Now, Daniel. I am losing my patience."

I remained in place.

The silence went on for another few moments, until I heard the girl let out a small sob.

"Maybe he's dead..." she whispered.

Those three words shattered my heart.

"He's still alive," the baron retorted angrily. "Daniel. Come to the door. Now!"

The girl, frightened now, began crying. My throat closed with misery. She called, "Please! Come out!"

_Who is he trying...to torture? Her...or me?_

I crawled to the door, hearing my claws scrape across the stone and over the metal door as I rose to my knees. I carefully put my left arm through the bars in the small opening above and held my hand out, palm up.

I heard Alexander sigh with frustration, but heard the girl gasp softly. I wish I could've seen her face. I moved my fingers gently, folding each individually to my palm and releasing carefully to remind her that I was alive. A small, warm hand slid into mine and grasped it. I closed mine gently around hers. She was so young! Why would Alexander bring her here? Tears poured down my cheeks as I contemplated this.

The girl's hand was ripped from mine. Quickly, I pulled my arm from the door, fled to the corner, and hid myself beneath the blanket once again. The door opened and the girl was thrown violently in. It slammed shut and I heard the sound of departing footsteps. With a stifled cry, I heard the girl sit on the bed-frame. She was looking at me. I just knew.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Daniel," said the girl with such innocence.

_You would if you knew who I was…_

"My name is Mitzi. But I know your name already, so you don't have to tell me it."

I coughed and pulled the blanket tighter around myself, trying to shut out every last bit of light.

_I wish...I had died... Damn me... No. Damn Alexander._

"Are you sick?" Mitzi asked, sounding concerned.

I made no sound.

"Are you sad?" she inquired. When I didn't respond, she said, voice wavering, "Are you sad, Daniel? Is that why you're not talking to me?"

_I am...sad...Mitzi.…_

At my continued silence, the girl burst into bitter tears, a sound that twisted my guts into a cold, tight knot. She cried like this for about three hours, as far as I could tell, before she finally fell asleep. When her breathing became even and quiet, I allowed my cover to fall and looked at her. She was a beautiful little child, so contrary to my own body. It was terrible she should suffer like this. Her face was an expression of pain and unhappiness, and she turned miserably in her sleep.

_It's...unfair.…_

I laid down next to the bed-frame and rolled over to face Mitzi. I wanted to see the face of someone I didn't hate...or fear. Her face, if peaceful, was the image of innocence. The only indicators of her suffering nature were the wet tears on her cheeks and the tears in her dress.

I spent the night watching Mitzi's delicate features relax and reminiscing on the days I spent reading to Hazel.

_Those days...are over._

I'm not going to see her again.

I cried, but made no sound.

xxx

It felt like mere minutes had passed by the time Mitzi stirred in her sleep, moaning and stretching her bare arms over her head. Startled, I pulled the blanket over my body to hide myself. I laid there in this manner, listening to the girl as she sat up and...rubbed herself. For a few minutes, the dim silence was pregnant with tension and emotions. And then, I felt a small hand on my left shoulder through the blanket.

"Good morning, Daniel," Mitzi whispered sadly to me. "I hope you feel better. I'm sorry if I'm intruding in here, but, he made me. I hope we can be friends..." Her voice was thick with misery as she finished speaking, and I heard her begin to cry. "I-I don't want to...to die, Daniel..."

_I do... Mitzi, I do want to die.…_

I reached my left arm from under the blanket, careful not to expose myself, and rested my hand on her soft knee. She took it in both little hands and squeezed it tight, sniveling. I curled my fingers around hers.

We remained like this until I heard a servant shove in a meal through the slat in the bottom of the door. Mitzi stood up and picked up the bread. I hadn't received meals before, so I didn't know how to hide my inability to eat from my new companion.

I refused any food from her with silence and spent the rest of the day huddled in the corner, wallowing in self-hatred. Mitzi said things, but I didn't listen until she asked me a heartbreaking question:

"Do you have a sister?"

I was dumbfounded. I let out some inarticulate murmurs as I attempted to figure out how to answer her and finally choked out a barely intelligible response: "Ja."

"You do?" Mitzi said, obviously excited to hear me. "What's her name?"

_Her name...is Hazel._

I wish I could see her again…

Knowing I could not possibly say that name, I held my tongue and drew in a saddened, trembling breath.

Mitzi's next words were laden with disappointment. "...is she dead? Is that why you won't tell me her name?"

_She isn't...dead.…_

"Uh-uh," I moaned, choking on my own misery. It felt so awful to speak in such a simple way. I wanted to tell her about my beloved sister; I wanted to tell her about everything. I wanted to tell stories like I had once done and be Scheherazade for a new person. But now...

_It's impossible._

Mitzi let out a sad sigh. "I'm sorry if that made you sad. I hope you still like me."

_Of course...I still like you.…_

I squeezed my eyes tight to hold back the stinging tears.

I felt slightly relieved when finally the time came that Mitzi laid down on the bed-frame to rest. I stayed put, listening to the sounds she made as she stretched and relaxed herself. Then, finally, her voice came, "Good night, Daniel."

_Good night...Mitzi._

Once I was certain she was asleep, I stood up to my full height, stretching my tight legs and flexing my arms. All my bones popped as I moved, and I was thankful for the tattered, barely-considerable-as-pants pants I had secured on me with a belt. I walked, more stumbled, to the door and pushed. Locked.

_...of course it's locked._

How stupid of me…

Getting an idea, I reached through the barred window of the door with my right arm and felt for the lock.

_There it is. If I could just get the tip of my claw in…_

I managed to slide the very end of my index finger in, but it wouldn't go farther. Damn. But...why was I trying to leave? I had nowhere to go? Maybe I was going mad.

_Maybe I'm...becoming one...of them.…_

I squeezed my eyes shut and retracted my arm. Perish the thought! I'd never be one of those louts that Alexander called servants. I wouldn't lose myself.

I backed away from the door and turned to the sleeping girl. Mitzi looked much more peaceful this night. This gave me comfort. I sat next to her on the floor and gently brushed the stray hairs from her face. Realizing how messy it was, I quickly did the same with mine. I pulled my right hand claws through my hair. A finger went astray and cut my face. I gasped in pain and gripped the wound.

After a few minutes of sitting this way, I stood back up and returned to the door, once again peering through the window. It was dark, but I could just make out another door, composed of tall vertical bars, at the end of the short hall. Beyond that, no light broke the shadows.

I sighed and looked down at the stitches on my gut. One sewn-shut wound went vertically to about halfway to my chest, perfectly down my middle. The second was a more messily done, horizontal cut crossing my abdomen. The first was from the sawing, but I didn't recognize the second. It looked, at least to me, like a gutting wound.

_Alexander...what have you done to me...?_

I dropped to a sitting position in front of the door and let out a huff of air. For all this time, I'd never been hungry, nor thirsty, nor tired. I never had felt any basic human needs.

_What...is this?_

I stood back up impatiently and walked to the shackles on the walls, lifting the cuff to examine them, something I hadn't done before.

That's when I heard someone move.

I spun around instinctively and saw Mitzi rubbing her eyes and sitting up on the bed-frame. The blanket lay at her feet. I couldn't hide, so I crouched down with my back to her, relying on the hope that she wouldn't notice me.

"Is that you, Daniel?" she asked, standing up. When I met her question with tight lips, she approached. "Why are there stitches in your back?" Her hand touched my shoulder. "Are you h...?" I turned to look at her, hoping she would have an open mind.

No. Was I ever wrong.

Upon seeing my hideous visage, any trace of that innocent curiosity that could have been there melted away, replaced with pure, absolute horror. "MONSTER!" she screamed, backing away from me.

"Ah!" I reached towards her, wrapping my left hand gently around her arm.

"No! GET OFF!" Mitzi slapped my fingers, causing me to jerk away, and ran to the other side of the cell. "No! MONSTER! GO AWAY!"

_No... Mitzi...please.…_

I rose to my feet and walked towards her, but her shrill shrieks accosted my ears and made me keep my distance. She grabbed the iron tray off the floor and smacked my elbow with it. I cried out in pain, an alien sound even to me and gripped my agonized arm, accidentally digging my claws into the flesh and increasing my pain. I backed away, confused and disoriented, until I slammed into the back wall, winding myself. Losing my balance, I ripped my claws from my arm and leaned against the wall, whimpering quietly. Mitzi's eyes were filled with fear when I made contact. Her screams had fallen silent, replaced by scared sobs. The pain not yet subsided, I tried approaching again.

_Please...just listen.…_

My advance was met by more screams and another painful smack to the arm. This time, I gasped and coughed, tears falling from my eyes as I fell to my knees. Another bash came to my head. Stars flew through my vision. I was on the ground, crawling for refuge, weeping pathetically. I used the wall to support myself, struggling to my feet, and looked at Mitzi again. Her eyes brimmed with grief, and I covered my face in agony.

_I am...a Gatherer..._

_I am...a Gatherer..._

_How am I...supposed to live?_

I looked at Mitzi again, realizing I was on my knees. I wish I could have spoken to her; I even tried, to some extent. "Aaaah," I groaned, seeking refuge in the innocent eyes. I crawled to her feet, expecting another whack from the tray, but received no pain.

"Are you Daniel?" the girl asked.

I nodded.

"But you're a monster," she mumbled. "Why would you hide from me like that?"

I rubbed my face like she had before, trying to clear the tears away.

_I hid...so you wouldn't be scared.…_

"You're hurt," she said, and she grabbed the sides of my head with both hands. With her thumb, she rubbed the bleeding cut on my face. At first, it hurt, but then I welcomed this motion with pleasure. She abruptly released me and grabbed the blanket, first wiping her hand with it and them my wound.

"All better," she said, smiling sadly.

I couldn't help it. I hugged her.

Mitzi put her hands on my head. "You're not a very scary monster, Daniel," she whispered.

_I never wanted to be scary.…_

"You seem like a nice monster."

I tried to smile, quickly realizing this simple expression was outside my range of motion. I don't think I could have been more grateful for such a short phrase, though.

_Thank you, Mitzi._


	2. Failure and Fearful Souls

Hello again! I'm SO glad you haven't given up on me yet! R&R appreciated!

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><p>Most of that night I sat patiently in the corner, scraping my nails against the stone and waiting for Mitzi to rise. I was hoping for some honest company so I wouldn't have to once again retreat into my own self-pity again. The girl had been grateful for the warmth the blanket granted her, of that I was certain.<p>

When she awoke, I averted my eyes to the door. I heard her stand.

"Did you sleep well, Daniel?"

I didn't answer. I simply turned my head to her, making eyes contact. A brief flicker of fright passed through her eyes; her smile faltered for a moment. I hid my face in my hands.

"Don't be sad, Daniel," Mitzi whispered sweetly, walking over to me. "I'm not scared of you."

Feeling comforted by her words, I patted her shoulder with my left hand and rose to my feet, walking to the door and looking out the small window again. Damn! I wished I knew where we were in the dungeons.

"What are you looking for?" Mitzi asked me. "Can I see?"

I backed away from the door and bent to lift the little girl, carefully maneuvering my clawed hand so as not to puncture her delicate sides. She seemed tense, like she was expecting pain at any moment.

_I will prove her wrong._

Gently, I lifted her to the small window, surprised by her light weight. She gripped the bars in her little hands and looked through into the darkness. She stifled a cry. "Someone's coming!"

It was true. I set her down behind me and crouched down, out of view. The sound of skin rubbing skin met my ears, steadily growing closer, until it was just beyond the iron door. I heard an almost growling, snuffing grunt and the sound of bone scrabbling against metal. It was right there. I quietly rose to my feet and caught sight of a repulsively deformed face, its bulging eyes looking into a bucket of food.

_It's...disgusting..._

Do I...look like that...?

I crouched down again, listening to the monster as it prepared the food for Mitzi. The terrified girl ran over to me and squeezed herself tight to my arm. "Make it go away," she whispered. "It's scary."

I had to. Somehow.

I gently removed her from my side and stood behind the door. This was a Gatherer, and as such, was most likely ridiculously stupid. It wouldn't leave when asked, and certainly wouldn't respond to threats. But could I scare it off?

_The door…_

I pressed my hands against it, examining it all over.

_There are two hinges- to the top and the bottom. I could break it...in the middle...or the top._

If I pushed from the top, though, it wouldn't go well.

_The middle...would scare it good.…_

My resolve was set. The monster was dropping bread onto a tray from what I could hear. I pushed against the door and waited. When I hear the sound stop and the Gatherer exhale, I slammed my weight against the door, busting it open with a violent screech and crash of breaking metal. The Gatherer roared in surprise as I slammed into it, smashing the abomination against the adjacent wall. I heard something crunch and snap within it, all its bloated flesh juggling about. It coughed and barked pathetically. Annoyed by it, I smashed its skull with a blow with my fist.

Mitzi came out of the cell, looking almost sickened by these events. I glanced, hopefully reassuringly, at her and dropped the dead monster to the ground, looking closely at it's disfigured face. I looked at the little girl again, hoping to get my message across. "Ah?"

Mitzi forced as smile to her face. "We're free, Daniel. Thank you!" She ran over and hugged me, and action that caught me unawares. It was a close contact I had not felt in a while, and it would've been enjoyable, hadn't I been worried about my face. Did I resemble this hideous Gatherer in any way?

_I...hope not.…_

"Where should we go now?" Mitzi whispered, releasing me from the hug. The gate door was open, but the darkness beyond was absolute and unrelenting. In the opposite direction was a dead end...

_Wait...what is that...?_

I stood and walked over there, bending over to pick up a lantern. How convenient. I twisted the little knob gently, attempting to spark a flame, and was glad when it worked. It bathed the nearby hall in an orange-yellow glow, but it darkened the blackness just outside its range. Mitzi ran into the light and grabbed hold of the left leg of my pants. Tussling her hair to assure her, I proceeded through the open gate and into the unknown darkness.

Here, it deeply resembled the prison I had only once passed through. My lantern cast its light graciously across every crack in the cobbled walls. Soon, came to a fork in the path. In each direction total darkness prevailed. I shivered. Darkness had never been kind to me. I looked down at Mitzi, and she looked up to meet my gaze.

"I came from that way," she said, pointing to the right. "Maybe we should go that way."

I nodded and, turning in that direction, let out a mumble of agreement. We walked that way, listening to the sound of our footsteps echoing around us, until we heard the deep, throaty gurgle of another one of those monsters.

I reflexively doused the lantern flame, shrouding Mitzi and I in black oblivion, and quickly pushed Mitzi against the wall. The Gatherer lumbered around the corner, just as ugly as the other one, and saw me. It grunted in surprise. Mitzi squealed and hid her face. I stood up, meeting eyes with the homely monster, and approached it, a low moan coming from my throat. It backed away from me, making a noise comparable to a whimper. I grabbed it and took a quick slash, ripping open its front and watching its blood spill. The fiend, fearing death, ran away as fast as it most likely could.

_I hate those...monsters.…_

I lit the lantern again and beckoned to Mitzi, who quickly came to my side. This place made me sick. It stank of blood, feces, sickness, and misery. Nobody should be here. Nobody.

And nobody should have to suffer what I suffered below.

I led the girl forward until we saw another sell. From what I could hear, it held a sobbing man. Curious, I looked in on the chained prisoner.

"Is that you, baron?" the criminal asked, voice imbued with deep hatred. When he saw me instead of Alexander, he wretched. "Get away, foul beast! I seek your master!"

My stomach churned and I backed away from the door, my heart shriveling at my reception by the condemned man. I whimpered and fell to the ground, supporting myself with my hands.

_Alexander...is not...my master..._

_Alexander...is not...my master..._

_I am...a free man...!_

Even I knew that wasn't true.

Regaining my composure, I rose to my feet and, after gathering Mitzi to my side, continued down the hall, hearing the sound of prisoners moaning and grieving. It sounded like Hell to me. It sounded like Hell had been incarnated on Earth, and Brennenburg was Pandaemonium. This vision sent a shiver down my spine.

_Am I…_

I clenched Mitzi's hand tight as we approached a stone staircase.

"What's wrong?" the girl asked, a note of distress in her voice.

"Nuh," I croaked, rounding the corner to a hallway. Stuff was stacked along the walls, mostly barrels and crates. I led Mitzi down this stretch, glancing into a darkened offshoot, recognizing it. It was the way out!

_Freedom is...so close.…_

My hand left Mitzi's shoulder as I started in that direction.

_No. Stop thinking like that. Mitzi...she needs me.…_

I grabbed the little girl's shoulder, stopping her from walking into the darkness. She seemed to understand, for she didn't protest as I led her up the second set of stairs and into the kitchen. The door stood slightly open, so I pulled it all the way.

Within was the poor Gatherer I had wounded before. It whimpered and backed away as I led a nervous Mitzi in. The girl stifled a cry when she saw the guts spilling out of the creature's stomach and the way this new deformity seemed to complement the rest of its swollen, lopsided body. I gently pushed the girl behind me and walked to the pathetic monster.

_It's miserable...like me._

I grabbed it by the head and twisted sharply, breaking its neck with a loud crack. I threw it facedown to the floor, at the foot of the shelves and their putrid contents. Everything here was covered in mold, but over the stink of rot and fresh blood I could smell something fresh. I went quickly to the source. Pigs! Cut perfect down the center. And gutted.

_That smells delicious…_

After staring hungrily at the pork for another few seconds, I snapped the rope holding it up and carried it to the table next to the open flame. Mitzi came over to my side as I sliced off some meat from the bone of the pig's leg, then happily received it as I gave it to her. She ate voraciously, and soon enough I was cutting another piece for her. She was starving, whereas I, even after so long, haven't felt a thing.

Soon, though, she had eaten her fill, and sat down by the fire to rest a moment. I looked at her; she smiled warmly at me. I sat next to her, pulling a leg up to my chest.

"Where to now, Daniel?" she asked me, probably just to reassure herself. "Everywhere's so dark down here. Why do you think that is?"

I remembered once having asked Alexander a similar question. It had been incredibly, unnaturally dark in the Refinery. But Alexander hadn't explained to me why.

I felt oddly distressed, being unable to answer Mitzi's myriad questions. In essence, I'm to her as the baron was to me: A guardian. I felt like a hypocrite. Alexander hadn't answered me, and it felt wrong not to answer, despite my ignorance.

After a few minutes of quiet rest, I stood, helping Mitzi to her feet as well. She clung to my hand as we walked back down the stairs, this time turning into the dark hallway. The hairs on the nape of my neck tingled and I lit the lantern, casting the orange light over the stone once again. Here was the rather unremarkable wooden door; it lead to the Southern Prison block, and then the elevator, if memory served me well. I quietly opened the door and led Mitzi through to the other side.

_Oh...heavens no.…_

The floor was coated in blood, fresh streaks running off into another metal-doored room. On a crude wooden desk lay knives, saws and blades of so many types. My stomach wounds itself in knocks and the cacophony of distorted church bells and crying infants rang through my mind when I saw the large hammer and bloody rods leaning against the wall.

_The torture!_

It all came rushing back to me in shaking, blurred bits and pieces: Slices, slow cuts across, just the skin; shackled to the wall, _WHIP, WHIP, WHIP_; steel bludgeons against the chest, bruises, broken ribs; the wheel, buckling between the spokes, arm snaps off; turning wheel, tugging chain, weights, _CRUNCH_; the standing coffin lined with spikes, standing straight, knowing you'll falter; the saw, that dreaded instrument- _back_ and _forth_ and _back_ and _forth_ and _back_ and _forth!_I felt so much pain, so much it overwhelmed me! I dropped to my knees, frightening Mitzi quite further; she looked at me in horror as I moaned and cried and tried to get a grip on self-control.

_Fo..cus..on... My name...is...Daniel... I live...in..._

_Fo..cus...don't..lose...stay...awake.…_

Mitzi was crying, big tears falling from her eyes like April rain.

_Do it...for...her.…_

Mustering all the strength of my will, I struggled to my feet, gripping my head to banish all those abhorrent memories from my mind. My vision was blurry, and everything rocked like that boat on the stormy Mediterranean.

Honestly, nearly drowning in the waters north of Algeria was a more comfortable feeling than that which I experienced then.

Mitzi's sobbing finally became audible to me. I wanted her to stop crying, so I bent down and gave her a tight hug. Her head leaned into the crook of my neck, and her small arms wrapped around my cool shoulders. We held this embrace until the sobbing and the rocking subsided. I straightened my posture and turned away from the door the blood trail led into. Instead, we walked in the opposite direction, and came to another wretched sight.

A man was shackled to the wall here, obviously a prisoner to Alexander. His back faced us, covered in the red, gory whiplashes of a recent torture.

I felt nauseous again, certain that the man was dead. I cautiously stepped toward him, surprised when I heard him moan. His bare arms twitched and he seemed to stretch his muscles, bracing for more blows.

"Please, no more, baron! I'm innocent!" he cried, rattling his chains. "I've never done a thing to hurt another in my life! Please! Let me free! PLEASE!"

The torture man turned his head to his shoulder and looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Foul beast! Your demon brethren and your master will BURN for this! There is no saving you!"

Mitzi gripped my arm tight and glared at the bound person, crying out, "He's not a demon!"

The tortured man growled. "You have taken a child into this horrible place? How dare you! You disgusting beasts!"

I came closer to the man, who protested horribly, shouting awful things as I led Mitzi past him. He shouted viciously, crushing my soul. I was quite happy to leave the torture room.

_What horrible...things.…_

I ran my claws along the cobbled wall for a moment, grateful to see that here torches were lit at regular intervals. I walked to a small stack of crates adjacent to one of these purveyors of light and refilled the lantern with the oil placed here. Obviously, this block was more often traversed than the one Mitzi and I had been locked in before. I crept down the corridor, Mitzi at my side, until I heard an inhuman, vaguely familiar wailing moan echo around us. I shoved Mitzi behind two barrels when I heard the painful sound of screeching metal and another, much longer and far more unearthly moan caught my ears. It came from down the hall. I watched in terror as a hideous monster, its split face a toothy, gnashing jaw, came lumbering down the bloody corridor, the big steel blade in its forearm dripping with flesh blood. The abomination's monstrous stature frightened me as much as its ghastly face and left-arm weapon did. As it came closer, I heard the sound of metal creaking. This was a robust beast I couldn't possibly hope to conquer.

_Please...let it pass.…_

The brutish monster, within an arm's length of me, halted its march and looked in my direction. I could see a single eye glimmering on its lip, the term used loosely. My stomach churned violently, and cold sweat ran down my back as we made eye contact.

_Please...leave...please...leave.…_

The monster looked back down its intended path and continued on. I watched its nasty, pock-riddled back until it disappeared beyond the torture-room door.

"Is it gone?" Mitzi whispered nervously from her hiding place.

I pulled her out into the open and led her down the hall, turning at a door where someone, who had obviously been bleeding, had been dragged through. I quietly opened it to a crack, putting Mitzi through before I squeezed in. The hall here was dark; a single cell door stood open to my left.

As we began walking down the shadowy corridor, I jerked and froze in my tracks when I heard a blade smash through flesh and bone, followed by an agonized scream. Mitzi whimpered and grabbed my leg. I crouched down and hugged her vulnerable body to my chest. I listened as the bone-chilling blow resounded through the prison again, and another bloodcurdling cry of pain tore at my heart. Mitzi was shaking with fear. Shlop! Scream!

_That...brute.…_

Snap! At this final blow, I heard only a despondent whimper. At the next, a dying cough. I was shaking now, too. The little girl I held close was crying into my chest. We had heard a man die horribly.

_But...that man had cursed me.…_

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the ripped feeling in my gut.

_No! Don't think that way.…_

I stood up, gently rubbing Mitzi's head. She slid her fingers into my left hand and squeezed tight. She seemed to trust the darkness far more than I did: but, then again, she hadn't seen what I'd seen. In the distance, I could see light. I walked briskly in that direction, pulling the girl after me, and rounded the corner. The gate door leading to the chamber which contained the elevator was locked.

_The lock...maybe it's...wider.…_

I knelt down and reached my right hand through the gate, scraping my claw against the lock until I found the keyhole. I slid the point in and pushed the tumblers until I heard a click. Excited, I pushed the gate. It swung open.

Mitzi beamed joyfully and hugged me. "You did it, Daniel!"

Feeling warm inside, I briefly returned the embrace and exhaled with relief. I took her hand and led her through the short hallway, turning the corner and-

_No._

Alexander stood in the chamber, staring at me with smug satisfaction.

_No!_

I shoved Mitzi into the darkness, gesturing at her to run. She didn't understand, though. "What is it?" she asked, voice wavering fearfully.

_What are you doing? RUN!_

It was too late for her to run.

A Gatherer, croaking from deep in its throat, grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth quickly. She kicked out and screamed, but the disfigured beast was undaunted.

_No, no, no, no, no, no.…_

"I'm rather impressed, Daniel. I'm surprised you made it through the torture room."

I spun furiously to look at the cause of all my misery- Alexander stood behind me, smiling like the bastard he was. I allowed an irate growl to escape my throat.

_You...beast! Why would you…_

"...take a young girl?" he finished complacently. "Honestly, I ordered her AND her family caught, Daniel, but my featherbrained servants only managed to capture her." The baron looked past me to his other slave. "Lock her in the one down the hall. It's vacant now."

Kicking and screaming, Mitzi was dragged into the bloody cell, the one the condemned man just left empty.

I glared at Alexander.

_You...monster... I'LL KILL YOU!_

I went for him, I admit it. He was ten feet away, and seemingly unarmed. I had my claws flared, my heart pounding adrenaline. I was ready to kill in cold blood.

But, what stopped me surprises even I.

All Alexander had to do to save his own life was to hold up a saw. The saw. That had ended my life.

Simply seeing it and the way the dry blood turned almost red in the light was enough to stop me. No, it wasn't dry. Suddenly, it was dripping red to the ground, glistening with a disturbing shimmer. The world fell apart around me, and I heard the raucous chorus of malevolent church bells ringing in my ears, soon followed by sounds in reverse, and it all went black.

xxx

_I was there...again._

_No... In the chamber..._

_I was hanging...barely conscious...everywhere... Everywhere hurt. I could...see...Alexander... No. Just..._

_Everything is blurry._

_My head, it...it hurts..._

_Yes, Daniel... It should be...hurting... The blood is going to your head..._

_Is it...almost...over?_

_Alexander holds...is holding a saw... It's silver... It has...two handles..._

_Yes._

_The pain! Screaming...screaming... RIP, SLICE, RIP, SCLICE -_

_Silence..._

_Thank you...oblivion.…_

_xxx_

_This is what it's like to be outside again._

I was standing in the woods just outside of Brennenburg, wrapped in a long, black cloak and gripping a burlap sack tight in my hands. Rain pounded mercilessly down from the grey sky, drenching me in a relentless, frigid waterfall. The air smelled fresh; I did not smell a trace of the horror beneath the castle. It seemed almost picturesque, the beautiful castle in the rain, the verdant forests surrounding on all sides. It made little sense to me.

Satisfied with the taste of the rain, I pulled the hood of the cloak over my face and moved into the denser wood. A lantern was looped into my belt, just in case night fell before I returned and I had to fend off the Shadow.

_No...that's not right. The shadows.…_

I moved quietly, on feet stitched together again as though by some sick dollmaker. Silence deafened me, a silence that battled against the rain on the leaves and the sorrows in my heart. At times, a child's sobs would echo through my mind, and I would spin desperately about, searching for the one I lost.

_Mitzi?_

_Mitzi, come out... I'm so sorry.…_

It felt infinitely different to me now. I was indifferent to the ground my feet tread upon. Whether I stepped on grass or thorns, it had no effect on my pace. I was silent regardless, which I suppose was a good thing.

I was looking for Aldstadt.

I'd spent a night in Aldstadt before, and I knew it couldn't be far. The men of the village had warned me to keep to the building when night fell; they'd warned me of the dangers lurking just out of sight. I had taken heed, already driven halfway mad by the nightmare stalking me, and now I understood why the villagers should beware.

_Were they...Zimmermans…_

Keeping to the shadows, I skirted the sleepy town, looking for anyone who looked like Mitzi. I spotted two girls sitting on a porch. One was about thirteen, and the other probably ten. The bore a striking resemblance to Mitzi. These were the girls.

_Why...am I doing this?_

_I have no choice.…_

Alexander... He had locked me in the Transept. He'd dragged me down in stocks with a blind over my head and left me in the Transept until my mind cracked. I...couldn't think straight. It was terrible. Alexander promised me, if I disobeyed, he would do far worse.

_I'm...afraid of... What could be worse...?_

I waited, watching the girls and plotting my next move. This house was on the outskirts of town. I could see a farmhouse in the distance. I silently approached the house, keeping out of sight until I reached the edge of the porch.

_I...need to do this._

I walked to the porch front, looking at the girls from beneath my hood.

The first one stood up. "Can I help you, sir?" she asked, standing just a step above me.

I shifted the sack between hands.

The second girl stood up and went to her sister. "He's acting funny," she whispered.

"Shush, Agatha! That's rude!" snapped the older one.

With regret, I rushed forward and grabbed Agatha, lifting her under the crook of my arm as I went for the older one. The girl flailed wildly and yelled, calling for help. I quickly forced her into the bag and seized her older sister by the arm, accidentally cutting her and drawing blood. She screamed shrilly, so I tightened my grip and pushed her in, quickly tying the sack shut on them. They were still screaming and trying to fight back, so I kicked the bundle and barked some sounds. The violence quickly turned to whimpers and quiet sobbing.

Taking the close end of the sack in my hand, I began the long trek back to Brennenburg.

It was an arduous journey. Agatha was crying, and the older one threatened me with death and humiliation at the hands of the villagers. She was angered by my inability to respond, so I tried to shut her out of my mind.

_Just breathe...focus. My name is Daniel. I live in Mayfair._

I had never wanted to do this.

xxx

Drag, drag, stop.

"You have them?"

_I.…_

"We don't need the father. Take them to the prison."

I nodded submissively to the baron and dragged the sack down to the prison block again. It was dark here, but I dared not draw my lantern, for fear I might be detected by that brutish monster. I may as well put them in with their young sister. I quickly opened the door, untied the sack, threw the girls in and slammed the door shut. I backed out of view.

Sounds of moaning and curiosity met my ears, followed by gasps and cries of happiness. They said each other's names, and I heard joyous sobbing.

"We've missed you so much, Mitzi!" cried the eldest girl.

"I missed you too, Trudi," the little one said. "I almost got out, but they caught me..."

"I HATE those monsters!" Agatha shouted miserably. "I wish they would all die!"

That hurt me.

"They're not all bad!" Mitzi protested, healing my pain.

"Father warned us about the Gatherers," Trudi lamented. The bed-frame creaked beneath someone's weight. "We should have listened to him. We shouldn't have been sitting outside!"

"It was so ugly..." the middle child whispered.

That tore open every one of my wounds again.

"I met a nice monster, though," Mitzi said. "He wasn't very pretty, but he was really nice, and I almost escaped with him." I heard her sniffle like she was holding back tears. "They were hurting him, Trudi."

"They aren't good creatures, Mitzi!" Trudi snapped, drawing frightened whimpers from her sisters. "Look what it did to my arm!" I heard horrified gasps. Agatha began bawling.

_I...I didn't mean to.…_

Done with my self-torture, I quickly departed for the surface floors of the castle.


	3. Simply a Gatherer

Hello again! Let me just say: This chapter was royal pain to write. R&R still desired!

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><p>Alexander did have a purpose for me, and I will forever curse the day I found it out.<p>

I was in the Nave's cell chamber, listening to each of the prisoners locked there. It brought back...memories. Alexander had allowed me to wander this small area, but he locked the gate to the rest of the hall. After losing a foot, though, exploration became impossible.

I shivered at this thought.

I approached the cell at the top of the stairs and heard the weeping man within. He was ready for the torture, of this I was certain. Familiar with the procedure, I opened the door and pulled the blind over the screaming man's head. I grabbed him roughly by the arm and led him down the stairs, gripping his bicep with harsh tightness. I dragged him through the Nave to the hallway leading to the Choir. I forced him through the right door, his body slamming against the binding table.

The baron, who stood to the side, nodded. "Restrain him."

_As you wish.…_

I grabbed the criminal's wrists, easily overpowering him and forcing him to the table. I quickly tied his wrists painfully tight, then did the same with his legs. He was stretched across the platform, just barely struggling in his bonds.

I looked to Alexander for direction. He simply shook his head, pointing to the tools laid out on the small stand. "You should know."

_I remember this._

It came flooding back through my mind. The room was dimmer than before, less candles lit than there once had been. The man on the table had green lines painted across his chest.

_Paint the man.…_

I picked up a dagger.

_Cut the lines.…_

I stood over him, holding the blade over his chest.

_Cut the flesh...watch the blood flow... Let it come._

My hand shaking, I pressed the dagger to his bare flesh and cut. The man screamed and begged for mercy. No, I couldn't stop. I sliced across the nonexistent lines, every movement reflecting my own past pain. I could almost feel it, each delicate, bleeding wound...

_Do I...really want him to live this...?_

Losing my focus for a moment, my dagger slipped and cut into the criminal's guts. He screamed in pain. It was done! I groaned in my throat, moving to another imagined line and stabbing down violently. Blood gushed out, staining my hand and the knife. It was so warm! Despite Alexander's protests, I ripped through the man's intestines, drawing bloodcurdling howls and dark red blood from the dying body. What was that feeling? At the end of that cut, I forsook the dagger and grabbed the axe, slamming the blunt end onto his chest. A nasty coughing whimper burst from the dying man's throat, followed by broken whimpers as I raised the weapon for another blow. This time, I drove the sharp end into his chest, hopefully killing him. He was still alive, suffering, suffering! I chopped his vitals again and again and again and again and again and again until my hands could no longer hold the axe and I was shrieking myself and falling to my knees on the ground.

_Shadow, begone... Shadow, begone...!_

The criminal was dead, he had to be. I'd made of him a mangled mess, and I couldn't help but feel triumphant somehow.

But Alexander didn't agree.

"This isn't acceptable, Daniel," the baron snarled. "He was suppose to LIVE! You, of all my servants, should KNOW how this process works!"

_How can I...make someone suffer...?_

"I'll teach you how," Alexander growled. Two Gatherers had entered, and I didn't fight as they pulled the blind over my head and locked my hands and feet in wooden stocks. I was dragged somewhere, listening for the sounds of each location and my stomach tightening when I knew. When the blind was removed, I was in a torture room. There was a chair in the center, with a big weight to the left and shackles dangling overhead. Strappado. My skin crawled as I looked at the gruesome device.

_Dear heavens.…_

I closed my eyes, but the horror had already gotten to me. A thousand screams echoed through my ears and I heard the sound of chains rising through a pulley, and my own yells of pain when the tension was loosened and suddenly tightened again. I could almost feel it, every bit of that pain, the way I could barely move after such terrible agony and Alexander's servant had to carry me back to my cell. It all came back to me, each horrible moment I suffered to cast away the Shadow-

_The Shadow!_

I remembered suddenly: it was still after me. Its ground-shaking roar resounded in my mind, adding itself to the chaotic chorus that sung there, twisting and perverting my thoughts.

_I can't...stay..._

I must...leave.…

But I couldn't. My hands and feet were locked rigidly together, completely incapacitating me. I was trapped. It was terrible! I heard a young child sobbing, followed by an infant's shrill cry-was it weeping, or laughing? Babies could laugh, right?

_What is laughter?_

Unable to keep my balance any longer, I fell sideways to the floor, the overwhelming sounds melding together into an ear-splitting ring. I couldn't take it! The floor was bloody again, not dry, wet with fresh blood, soaking into my skin and hair.

_My name is...Daniel... I live in...in...Mayfair... Focus...focus... My name...is...Daniel... I live...in... My...name is Daniel.…_

It was blurring. I couldn't see. My own breathing was twisted, distorted, gasping and coughing like that dying girl in the hospice. Who was she? I saw bodies, cut up, contorted into unnatural poses. I saw myself through distant eyes, pulled, pulled, on the strappado. Why was it so dark? Where? Everything was stretched, and the Shadow rumbled around me. Monsters, everywhere, gathering the dead!

_My name is... My name is... My name is... My...name...is.…_

xxx

There was a man. He was screaming things, so I twisted the wheel. He stopped and whimpered now. I didn't like hearing him scream. It was annoying. The people, the ones who screamed, were annoying. I didn't like them.

When they saw me, they would shout things. I wish I could make them quiet. When I hit them, they get quiet. They also stop moving. Sometimes they move again, but I don't want them to, because, when they do, they scream.

I dragged the screamers through the watery place and past the dangling man whose head is always down. Some of the screamers I drag through, they coughed and coughed and would stop moving. Master didn't like it when they stopped, and Master would send me to put them on the pile when they did. Master liked it when they screamed, and Master liked it when red stuff came out of them. I don't understand why.

Today, I was in the big room, bringing a screamer to the cow. He didn't scream when I put him in, but he did scream when Master lit the fire. He screamed and screamed, but he sounded like me on the outside. When I took him out, he wasn't moving and he was red all over.

I don't know why they scream. I don't like it. All I know is that they need to stop. I hit them hard so the red comes out, and water comes out too sometimes. If I hit them just right, they fall down and I pile them.

There's a little voice in my head. It cries a lot. It doesn't scream, though, so I ignore it. Master doesn't like the little voice, so I don't like it. Master's word is the only thing.

The little voice says Master is bad, that Master should die. No! Be quiet, little voice! That's what I tell the little voice, and then it keeps crying.

I wish I could hit the little voice. Maybe if I hit it, it wouldn't say anything. Just like the screamers.

I was in the center room, looking at the dangling one. Master would say things to the dangling one, but when I did, it wasn't the same. Why would he say things to the dangling one? The dangling one didn't move. Shouldn't I put him in the pile?

Master told me to do things. He told me to bring the screamers to the big room and put them on the spinning wheel or the spiky thing, and I would do it. The little voice always said no, but I said yes. The little voice wants to hit Master. The little voice is stupid! I would never hit Master, because if I hit Master, Master would stop moving and saying things.

I don't want Master to stop.

One day, Master commanded me to bring some screamers to him through the bridge room. I went there through the door and through the watery place. I found one, but he screamed and ran away, so I hit him. He didn't scream, but he was whimpering. I took him to Master, and we used the saw on him. The saw makes the little voice be quiet. I like the saw. The saw makes the screamers stop moving.

The little voice keeps saying I was a screamer once, and that I stopped moving. That doesn't make sense. How could I be a screamer? Screamers are annoying and noisy. I'm not annoying and noisy. The little voice is.

Master said there were little ones in the prison. Master wanted to put one in the center room. So I obeyed. I went to the prison where the little ones were and opened the door.

They were different. When they saw me, they screamed. One didn't. One looked at me and said things, but I ignored her. I grabbed one of the little screamers and took her out and dragged her to the center room. She coughed and coughed and stopped moving.

This made the little voice sad. How could you let her die? it shouted. Agatha was innocent! She was innocent! It sobbed for a long time afterward. That annoyed me, so I hit the little screamer until the red stuff stopped coming out.

Master didn't like this. Master thought I had made her stop, so he made me sit in the dark room with the saw. I don't know why Master would make me do that, but I sat in there until Master came and told me to use the chain-puller on a screamer. The little voice didn't like this, but I did. I like making them whimper.

xxx

Master wanted me to bring another little one, and this one needed to keep moving. I went to the prison and quickly found them. Before I went in, the little voice said I had a name.

What's a name? I have nothing. I don't have a name, whatever that is. The little voice was silly. Be quiet, little voice.

I opened the door. The bigger of the two screamed and pounded on me. I was surprised and annoyed. The smallest one yelled at the bigger one, and the bigger one shouted back. I was confused. What were they doing. I grabber the fighting one's wrist and squeezed. The fighting one screamed and the little one said things to me. Water was coming from the little one's eyes. The little one said, Stop it, Daniel!

My mind seared. It flashed. The room flashed bright white.

_My name is Daniel._

_I have a name._

_I have a family. I have a sister, I have a home, I have parents and I have friends._

_And I have feelings._

The whiteness disappeared, and the cell's wall appeared to be moving slowly away as I returned to the real world. Horrified and regretful, I released my hold of Trudi's wrist. The girl gasped, and, crying, she punched me in the gut. I recoiled with the blow, the winding punch my first taste of pain in a long time. I fell to my knees and hugged her feet, sobbing. I could tell she was surprised by the way her muscles tensed and the room went silent.

_What have I done…_

_Agatha... I'm sorry... Mitzi.…_

"What is it doing?" Trudi asked herself, voice wavering. "Mitzi, run!"

"Don't worry, Trudi," Mitzi said. "That's Daniel. He's nice."

I let go and sat up, rubbing my eyes. I made what I hoped sounded like a friendly noise and made eye contact with Trudi. The girl recoiled in horror and backed away. Feeling horrible, I curled up in a ball on the floor, burying my face in the rest of my body.

"Trudi! You made him sad!" Mitzi whined, kneeling down next to me and rubbing my back. It was a nice feeling, so I waited a few moment before sitting up.

Trudi, who sat on the bed-frame now, looked at me with pitying eyes. "Is your name really Daniel?" she asked.

I nodded and grunted. Feeling unable to communicate, I tore some fabric from my pant-leg and, scratching some blood from my arm with my index finger, wrote a simple phrase:

_I can help you escape_

Trudi took the fabric from me and looked at it with joy. "Tell me more."

Groaning in pain, I gathered some blood on the tip of my claw again and jotted down some quick sentences:

_The elevator's right nearby  
>I'll take you there soon<br>There's less guards above  
>You have to wait<em>

Trudi read this and nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Daniel. Thank you so much!"

_No. Thank you._

I hugged both of them, accepting a small smooch from Mitzi, then stood up and left the cell, closing the door behind me. But what would I tell Alexander? How could I hide this?

_I just won't let him see me.…_

I quickly moved through the prison, ignoring the scarce Gatherers I passed as I once had, then went into the cistern entrance. The big door leading to the Chancel hung slightly open, so I approached with caution. When I heard nothing beyond, I entered carefully, sliding my body through the crack in the door in an effort not to change its positioning at all. Once inside, I made haste for the stairway leading to the Nave. The Chancel gave me this horribly uneasy feeling. Maybe it was the dark, unearthly pit, or the blue flames. Whatever it was, it made my skin crawl, so I dashed down the stairs and quietly entered the Nave.

In the prison room, I retrieved my neglected lantern from the small table and looped it into my belt. There were voices coming from the other side of the gate. I carefully approached to hear them clearly, keeping to the shadows.

"Agrippa, I need you to stay awake," came Alexander's voice. "Can you feel the syringe?"

_Agrippa...?_

"No." I didn't recognize this second voice. This one's thick German accent differed greatly from the baron's. "I won't be able to move soon, will I?"

I heard chemicals being mixed, glass clinking against glass as a syringe was filled. "...Your life is safe," was Alexander's vague answer.

_His life is...safe?_

"I don't doubt that," the second man said. "But will it be worth living?"

I heard the last sounds of a glass bottle being filled, followed by things being put into a bag as carried away. I watched Alexander walk up the wooden staircase and leave the Nave, slamming the door behind himself. I quietly pushed open the gate and entered the central portion, glancing into both hallways and approaching the stairway. Nobody was in here but the dead man's hanging body, its jawless head slumped down to its chest. I ignored the corpse, pushing that puzzle to the back of my mind and ascending to the back rooms of the Nave. The Laboratory door was shut. From behind it, I heard a shout of frustration mixed with grief. Curious, I approached and put my ear to the lock.

"It's not working!" came the baron's miserable cries. "Damn, Weyer! I've done everything! Why won't it work?"

How miserable was the man I hated? What was he trying to achieve? I backed away from the door as Alexander's desperate rambling became interspersed with sobs of anguish.

_Is there something...more to my enemy...?_

No. Anything he's planning cant be good. I lit my lantern and walked through the darkness to the prison again, trying to ignore the blade-armed Gatherer that followed me for a minute before going to another destination. I came to the place where the girls were-

-only to find the cell standing open and empty.

_No…_

Panicked, I bolted in the direction of the elevator.

_No! Please...please still be here...PLEASE STILL BE ALIVE!_

I rounded the corner, smashing down the gate to the elevator chamber, and came to the well-lit room. The elevator stood open before me, so I quickly got in and ascended toward the upper floors. It was too slow! I paced about, groaning I fear and frustration.

_I need a miracle... Please... Don't be dead!_


	4. Failure and Vengeful Souls

Now, be careful as you read this. Horror and twist ending follow. The Moral Event Horizon is tested, so viewer discretion advised. R&R appreciated; I love to hear how other people react to my stories.

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><p>The upper floors of Brennenburg.<p>

I had once felt comfortable here, bathed in the warm light of the Back Hall, but now, it only reminded me of what had been. I passed the fountain with utmost disregard, dashing down the stairway to the dark, dark storage. I quickly turned on my lantern as I passed through the open door and ventured hastily down the path to the main room.

_Mitzi...? Trudi...?_

I listened and heard a scream, followed by quiet sobbing. Trudi! I bolted in that direction, skidding around corners, disregarding the delicious and alcoholic scents in one room, until my feet smacked against wood and I found Trudi. The girl was sitting leaned against the wall, tears pouring from her terrified eyes. Her left leg was sprawled out, twisted sideways at a painfully unnatural angle, mutilated, and bloody. Horrified, I knelt down to get a closer look at the wounds. She shrieked. "Get away, freak!"

_I only...want to help.…_

I backed away and stood up when the strong odor of spiced wine wafted around me and a pasty white monster lumbered into the light of my lantern, staring at me with mismatched, feline eyes. Its claws were bloody. It had been moving in for another attack.

_You abomination! LEAVE HER ALONE!_

Furious, I roared deep in my throat and struck out at the beast, slashing its hideous face open and blinding it. It roared and whimpered pathetically, so, while it was stumbling around in the blackened hallway, gripping its face was though crying, I dug my claws into its spine. The Gatherer dropped to the floor.

I looked back at Trudi. She was breathing hard, terrified. Panicked, I ran back out to the food storage area and grabbed a cloth off a shelf. Quickly refilling my lantern, I rushed over to the agonized girl, kneeling down and straightening out her leg. She screamed in pain and protest, but I ignored her as I wrapped the fabric tight around the wounds, knotting it shut. Red blood seeped into the previously immaculate cloth. At least it was bandaged.

_It must be broken.…_

I ran off again, this time grabbing a length of ropeand a long wooden rod, breaking it in half and returning to Trudi. She seemed to understand what I was doing, but that didn't stop her from groaning and whining in pain as I tied the makeshift splint to her leg. When the task was completed, I picked up the lantern and looked into Trudi's watery eyes.

"I...Mitzi and I thought you wanted us to go," she sobbed. "S-so... We did... I don't know where she's gone!" She leaned towards me and squeezed my left hand tight.

_We... I have to find Mitzi!_

I lifted the girl into my arms, letting her hold the lantern, and carried her through the hallway to the stairs. Here it was difficult travel, for my arms had grown accustomed to dragging bodies rather than lifting them. When I finally reached the center room, I glanced around through the darkness, unable to see a thing beyond my circle of light. Unsure of what to do, I looked to Trudi for direction.

"Mitzi...didn't follow me down here," Trudi mumbled. "...I think."

_Damn... Can this be any harder?_

I looked in three directions, finally turning to my right and heading that way. I found a closed door here. Trudi, switching the lantern to her right hand, pulled open the door and called out to her little sister. Nobody came forward from the crowded room. I caught sight of an oil canister, so I grabbed it and, setting Trudi down for a moment, refilled the lantern.

I looked at the resting girl sitting below me. The air was freezing cold, but she was sweating profusely, her skin shining and eyes fixed on something in the darkness beyond. Distressed by this, I picked her up and went the other way, descending the stairs into a room that stank strongly of chemicals and rotting wood. I went farther into the area.

"Mitzi!" Trudi yelled, voice trembling with fear. I walked to each of the doors, opening them and exploring inside. No one.

_Where are you... Please be alive.…_

I felt absolutely awful. If anything happened to her, it would be my fault.

_I have to find her...save her!_

But I had to stop for a moment. My arms were giving out. Trudi was obviously older than I had first assumed. I leaned her against one of the stone structure jutting from the wall and dropped down next to her. She looked at me, eyes glittering with unease. I looked the floor and scratched my nails on the cobblestones.

"Daniel," Trudi whispered.

I looked up.

_What is it?_

"What did you do with Agatha?" the girl asked.

My stomach knotted itself up and a cold sweat broke out on the nape of my neck. Agatha... I remembered everything I'd done, I always had, and it made me feel sick. Barking, coughing sounds briefly escaped my throat, so I held my breath until the convulsions ended.

"Did you help her escape?"

I couldn't tell her the horrid truth, so I nodded sadly, looking down to the floor once again.

Trudi's small smile was palpable. "I guess I'll see her soon, then."

That struck a chord.

Unable to control it, I let out a long broken moan, the heaving sobs painful to my sore muscles. I quieted my grief quickly.

_There's work to be done._

I lifted Trudi once again and carried her through the open door to the Back Hall. Something felt...different than last I passed through here. I looked up the spiral staircase to the upper doors. Rose petals rested on the steps.

_Rose petals.…_

I'd once, in the Choir, long ago, witnessed Alexander gently plucking the petals from a rose and staring dreamily into the distance.

_Should I...?_

I gently set Trudi on the step. When she gazed questioningly at me, I gave her a look to try and get my point seemed to understand, so I went up the stairs. The petals led into the Study; the door was closed. Fearing what I would find there, I opened the door to my previous guest room.

It was immaculate, papers piled up on the desk just as I had left them. I looked around everywhere, but she wasn't in view. I found my footsteps falling into old routines, and I walked to the desk. Right there lay my journal, open to a blank page. Was this a sign?

_Maybe I should.…_

I found myself, soon enough, scratching out words as I once had with a quill soaked in ink, writing what I had seen and felt.

_Paint the man...cut the lines.…_

I found my focus slipping, and my final entry was brief and melancholy.

_I'm a cold-blooded murderer…_

I titled that entry Downfall.

Returning to my senses, I roared with frustration and ripped the pages from my journal in a blind fury, scattering them across the floor. I smacked my arm against a dresser, inadvertently yet satisfyingly knocking it over.

_Mitzi... Where are you?_

I moved into the room with my bed, flinging open the wardrobes, not finding my quarry and quickly slamming them shut. I dashed to the other door, crashing into it and finding it locked. Damn!

She wasn't there.

Defeated, I left the place of my distressing past and went into the Back Hall. I went down the stairs to give Trudi the news-

-but she was gone.

My heart went cold, and I believe I felt bile rising in my throat. Trudi was gone! How could this be? Alexander, you bastard! I gripped tight the cold stone banister, scraping my skin on the abrasive stone.

_I've lost all...of them.…_

No! They aren't all lost yet! Find her!

I turned viciously around and quickly went into the Study. In here, it felt wrong to break the muffled quiet, so I proceeded with unease down the hall. Then I heard a most gruesome sound. It almost sounded like a butcher carving meat and bone; but whatever was being cut here was still alive. The animal yelped and barked helplessly, and the manner of the sounds grew far worse. The yelps turned to squeals and screeches of distress and utter agony, so awful I don't understand how I bore it. Something snapped and crunched and squished. My stomach churned, and I could help retching.

I heard Alexander groan in annoyance. "What a mess," he griped. Something clattered as it was put down. "I should have sharpened the saw..."

_By God.…_

I heard a door open, followed by a shut. I stood absolutely still, frozen with fear, until I was certain nobody was in the preceding hallway. I turned about and went into the first book-filled room, glancing behind the door and under the table for Mitzi.

_No.…_

I quickly exited and crossed the hall, checking around the messy storeroom.

_Not here either.…_

I exited this room and went up the hallway. Here a door was shut. I knew Alexander was in there, so I passed quietly and went down to another few rooms. Mitzi wasn't here, either, but an oil barrel with a few drops left in it made me think wishfully of my lost lantern.

I heard a door open. Caught off my guard, I quickly hid under the nearby desk, listening to the distant footsteps going farther away until they were no longer audible. I waited a few seconds, then climbed out from under the desk and went down the hall again. This time, the door was open, so I entered.

Alexander had cut up a dog and, true to his word, it was a total mess. There was blood and little bits of meat everywhere, and poorly sliced pieces of the unfortunate creature still lay on the table. Sickened, I looked up at the poorly preserved companion of the dead animal which stood on a corner table.

_Remember who you're here for.…_

I shook my head and looked under all the tables, not finding Mitzi anywhere. I went towards the back door and pulled on the handle. Locked. Unhappy, I quickly departed the Study.

What a bad time to leave.

There was Alexander, standing by the fountain and looking mournfully into its water. Frightened, I backed up to the wall, inadvertently knocking over a broom. I cringed as it clattered down the stairs, alerting the baron to my presence. He looked up at me.

"Why are you up here?" he demanded, sounding quite annoyed.

I strained to think as I once had:

_The...little ones.…_

"Find them quickly," Alexander ordered, "or there will be hell to pay." With that, he turned back to the fountain.

I went quickly down the stairs, turning my back to Alexander as I walked down the stairway to pass through the ominous Archive Tunnels. After looking back briefly, I passed through the door and rushed through the long, empty tunnel.

_He knows.…_

I couldn't shake the feeling. He must have ordered Trudi captured...or killed. Something about him, maybe his tampering with the orbs, gave him the power to get into my mind. After all, we had communicated this way in the past. I couldn't grasp this concept; it was strange and impossible. He must know about my lies and my predicament now. Still puzzled, I dashed down the hall and burst through the door to the Cellar Archives.

This whole place made my skin crawl, from the cold, damp air to the repulsive stink of rot. I cranked the hatch of the gate quickly, surprised by how little effort it took to open. I went through quickly, glancing around the bare shelves and moving boxes that stood in my way. I tried to call out to my quarry, but the way it reverberated around the cellar made my cries sound imposing and vicious. I turned into the first doorway, looking around for Mitzi in the subtle light, then moved to the other room and searched there.

She wasn't there.

I sighed in frustration and ran up the small amount of stairs and passed through the trapdoor to the Refinery. It was so terribly dark here. I pulled myself into this back room, accidentally kicking the heavy trapdoor top. Hearing something break, I pulled my leg quickly away and the door slammed into the trap, jamming it shut. Above me was a pulley, which was jammed with a splintered piece of wood. I sighed.

_I'll fix it later.…_

I stood up and grabbed the unlit candlestick sitting on a nearby table, hoping I might encounter a torch later on to light it. I opened the door and came into a room full of wine bottles and a table covered in empty glasses. It appeared to have been used recently. I walked carefully through the room, looking beneath the table and around every corner for the girl.

_Why is it so dark...?_

I pushed through the wooden door nearby, catching sight of a monster through the shrouding darkness. Was it...eating something. I approached. It spun on me, gripping a bone half stripped of bloody meat, then went back to devouring its kill. I backed away, feeling threatened by this beast. I ran towards the wall-mounted torch by one of the large wine barrels and lit my candle on it. A small, flickering light generously illuminated the air around me, and I investigated the rest of the Refinery, carefully passing the dining Gatherer.

When I was disappointed by my continuing search, I went on into the preceding area. That's when an unearthly, violent roar blasted around me and shook the castle itself. Rocks fell from the ceiling and I heard something collapse. The monster in the room behind me panicked, moaning to itself, and ran away. I ground my claws into the timber of the wall and waited for the tremors to subside.

_Damn... The Shadow is near.…_

I quickly looked around among the barrels, noticing that here there was a collapsed passage and an axe half buried in the rubble in the torchlight. Sickened, I hoped Mitzi hadn't gone in there.

The dark hallway out was right nearby. Sweating again, I quickly left the Refinery and came to the Entrance Hall, a place I had been before. Now, though, light shone in from a gaping hole in the ceiling. I shuddered, knowing what could have caused such massive destruction. The collapse of Brennenburg had begun.

_I'm...going to die.…_

No. Then wasn't the time for thoughts like that. The doors exiting the dreadful castle stood shut in the distance. No doubt Mitzi would know to go that way.

_She's a smart girl..._

She's a good girl.

I ran that way, glancing into one of the small areas between towering bookshelves. There she was! Mitzi was there, curled up, face the expression of misery. I knelt down next to her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me, face bursting into an expression of sorrowful joy. Tears poured from her eyes and she leapt up and embraced me, gripping my hair tight in her little hands. "Daniel! I was so scared! There's...there's men shouting down there!" she pointed off towards one of the dark hallways that went out from the main hall. "Go make them stop!"

_I...guess I will.…_

Confused by her request, I let go of the little girl and walked in that direction, made nervous by the darkness that pressed in around me from those halls. When I came to the fork, I quickly realized what had disturbed Mitzi so badly. I went toward the sounds of suffering, shivering. This was a sound of a suffering unlike which any I had ever witnessed or experienced. Men screamed and groaned, their cries turning into gurgling, wrenching sounds as something unthinkable happened to them. I heard the sound of bone and muscle ripping and stretching, and of bodies slamming against walls, perhaps to end their suffering before it began. And, above all this, a man's voice cried out, "Alexander, you piece of shit! Let us out of here!" before it was too consumed by the nameless massacre within.

_What...in Hell?_

Horrified beyond anything I had been before, I fled the scene and straight to Mitzi, breathing heavily and groaning, on the verge of tears. The room rocked, waving and warping like the upset surface of a reflecting pond, so I gripped the bookshelf for support. Mitzi looked up at me, confusion seeping into the mixture of emotions on her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I nodded, the second lie I had told that way, and attempted to regain my balance. It returned quickly, and I impulsively brushed off my arms and legs. She smiled sadly and giggled at this. Then she turned towards the door and began walking that way.

_No...not yet.…_

I reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her back to me.

She looked up at me, confused. "Aren't we leaving?" she asked. "Let's go."

I shook my head. I wished I could have explained to her that we had to wait to leave, because Alexander was still suspicious. It broke my heart the way her joyful countenance melted into an expression of disappointment and fear. I wished it would've been both of us, as she seemed to think, but it never could be. I could never leave; Alexander had done his abhorrent work, and I would never be free of him. His Gatherers would hunt me down and bring me back- but not after killing Mitzi first.

When the little girl spoke next, her voice was wavering. "But... I don't want to stay here, Daniel..."

Firm in my opinion, I shook my head. I lifted her up into my arms and carried her back towards the tunnels leading to the Back Hall. Mitzi was kicking out and screaming, but I held her tight. When I had began to go down the stairs, she bit my thumb. She dropped down on her feet and ran ahead of me. Still surprised, I rubbed the painful bite on my thumb and pursued her. She had slammed the heavy door shut behind herself, so I slammed through it, bursting the hinges and knocking it down. She was far ahead of me, running through the blackness to certain death. What if the Gatherer had moved? What if it would catch her? I rounded another corner. She was already running into the next chamber.

_No! Come back!_

Fearing I might have to defend myself and Mitzi, I snatched up the axe from the debris and pursued her. The monster was going after her through the open door, so I drove my blade into the base of its skull. It dropped dead, and I stepped over its corpse after the little girl.

She was pressed against the wall, panting hard and crying. "No! I'm leaving! Go away!" she screamed. "You're a liar! I hate you!"

My heart just might have stopped.

_You...hate me?_

After all I've done for you...?

The world moved slowly for me, and I watched Mitzi dash across the trapdoor.

_I'll break it now... She'll be trapped.…_

I swung my axe for the door, but instead, it went into Mitzi's delicate shoulder.

The little girl screamed in agony and fell to the floor.

_Do you...still hate me?_

I chopped her chest again, listening to the gasp of air leaving her body, then cut her a third time. She seemed to sigh this time, and then her body went limp.

I was breathing hard, groaning. My heart pounded furiously in my ears. I snapped the axe in half and roared in blind fury.

_DO YOU STILL HATE ME? DO YOU?_

Calming myself, I looked down at the little girl's cadaver with new thoughts.

_Who...did this...?_

I was confused.

_No... What have I done?_

I fell to my knees, rolling Mitzi onto her back. Her eyes were open, frozen, glassy. She was still warm, but her flesh went cool in my arms.

_Mitzi...?_

I shook her as though it would bring her back, groaning in misery and disbelief. She was dead. Dead! DEAD! I dropped her corpse and screamed up at the ceiling, tears pouring from my eyes.

_No.…_

I curled up into a ball on the floor.

_I'm a cold-blooded murderer._


	5. To Forget

As sad as it may be (if you even really care), this is where we part with our good Mr. Stitches. As this is the last chapter, it's far shorter than the others, but important nonetheless. R&R especially appreciated now, see ing as this is the end.

* * *

><p>The heavenly spheres turn in ways beyond my earthly grasp, and darkness falls through the hole in the ceiling. I feel oddly empty. Perhaps the planets had been aligned for doom that day I went into that tomb in Algeria. Perhaps the Lord above had decided to toy with me as He once toyed with the Leviathan. Perhaps I am a star-crossed lunatic, and even now I am laughing maniacally in some cell back in Mayfair.<p>

I won't doubt the latter: this whole scenario feels like some demented story of the imagination.

I can't believe I never once noticed that dark glint in the baron's eyes. His letter to me, so frightening, had offered a solace so welcome common sense had fled from me. If only I had found that vagueness suspicious and had sought other ways to banish the Shadow. But no: I had been blinded by terror, and had fled into the arms of a demon at the sound of a Siren's song. When offered a chance at redemption, I was too quick to tie my own noose.

And here I am now, the product of his dark machinations. The blood of many is on my hands; the blood of innocent people, of children. I'm a monster in all ways. And if the Shadows is going to kill me, I may as well drag Alexander, my cursed maker, down with me.  
><em><br>_These were my thoughts as I finished lighting the burners and chose the chemicals carefully, reading each label twice over before adding it to my small collection on the table. I didn't want to poison myself, after all.

This room was full of various alchemic mixtures of all types, every shelf packed full of them, but I knew what I needed. The formula was emblazoned permanently into my mind, like a brand on a cattle's back.

But not for long.

Having gathered the ingredients, I found the flavor most often used to mask the caustic taste of the mixture: Damascus Rose. It smell absolutely sublime and reminded me of the Turkish Delights I had once indulged in at Constantinople.  
><em><br>_That was the past, which will be gone soon.

This was my last chance to set things right, and I didn't want to mess up. If anything went wrong, Alexander would live. But, this was so difficult. Unbelievably so!  
><em><br>_Did I really want to give this up? My sister, my loved ones, all those virtuous moments in my past... It had to be done. It would be a necessary evil; a cruel kindness, if I must quote that story. When my time came, it would come, and when it did, I would die with a clear, innocent conscience.

I had always been naïve at heart, but I was a coward. I killed others, tortured children to save myself! What kind of god would allow this to happen to me? I feel like some broken doll, torn apart by some devilish child only to be sewn back together again. No amount of fresh clothing I wore could hide that.

It would soon be over, though.  
><em><br>_I poured the chemicals into the mixer, turning each knob hesitantly to release the distilled compounds and seal my fate. My heart was pounding and fluttering. It poured out of the spout, sweetly tempting, and into the bottle I had prepared. I realized I was crying as I reached a shaking hand forward and curled my fingers around the neck of the glass. It was still warm, and the delicious scent wafted around me, tempting as the forbidden fruit to Adam and Eve.

I released it almost regretfully. Before I forgot, I had to remember. I sat down in the wooden chair and dipped my quill in the ink, looking down at the blank paper to bolster my confidence. My resolve set, I scrawled out a date:  
><em><br>_19 of August, 1839__

I groaned, breath forcing itself out in loud gasps as I struggled to control my hand.  
><em><br>_I wish I could ask you how much you remember. I don't know if there will be anything left after I consume this drink. Don't be afraid, Daniel. I can't...__

Tears fell from my eyes. I would be truly encouraged by this.  
><em><br>_...tell you why, but know this. I choose to forget. Try to find comfort and strength in that fact. There is a purpose. You are my final effort to put things right.__

I paused to dip my quill, contemplating this next line to myself.  
><em><br>_God willing, the name Alexander of Brennenburg still invokes bitter anger in you.__

Simply writing made fire flare in my gut, and I tightened my grip on the table until my knuckles were white. This would be a challenge. I would have never even considered killing another in my times of innocence. I had came close when I was young...but I'd never actually done the deed before now.  
><em><br>_If not, this will sound horrible. Go to the Inner Sanctum, find Alexander and kill him. His body is old and weak, and yours...__

I moaned again and wiped the tears from my eyes. My body... I was a torn-up doll, made of flesh and bone; Alexander had ripped me apart and put me back together.

_...young and strong. He will be no match for you. One last thing, a shadow is following you. It's a living nightmare, breaking down reality. I have tried everything and there is no way to fight back. You need to escape it as long as you can. Redeem us both Daniel. Descend into the darkness where Alexander waits and murder him._

Hand shaking, I considered how to sign it so I wouldn't be confused in the future. Finally, I decided on something meaningfully melancholy:  
><em><br>_Your former self,  
>Daniel<em>_

Finished with the note, I set the quill in the ink and push it away, centering the message on the desk. This would set my path in life after I drank the mixture. I stood up, gently pushing in the chair, and picked up the drink. I was anxious, I must admit. From here, I placed myself in God's hands, body and mind. I put the neck of the bottle to my tongue and dumped the liquid down my throat, swallowing excessively to consume every last savory drop.  
><em><br>_Will this ever end...?__

I don't believe I felt anything at first as I left the room I was myself for the last time. But, then everything felt foggy. My eyelids were heavy as I walked from the room, down the hallway, light seeping in through the cracks in the boards.

__What am I doing here? I need to...stop Alexander...__

I found myself taking wider strides, my vision going black for brief moments. It was disappearing. Everything. Behind a grey curtain.

_Focus. My name is Daniel... I live in...in_ _Mayfair..._

I was descending a staircase in a well-lit hall.  
><em><br>_Maybe this was a mistake... Don't...forget, don't forget... The...Shadow, hunting you...__

I was in a hall, standing on a red rug, walking forward.  
><em><br>_Focus, focus, don't forget...__

_My name is...is... I am Daniel._


End file.
